The offices of Baseball Victoria will be closed from noon on Wednesday 23 December 2015 until 9 a.m. on Monday 4 January 2016.
Everyone at BV wishes all players, managers, umpires, scorers and fans a happy and healthy holiday season.
Pakenham is seeking applications for club coach in the 2016 winter season. During winter the Pumas compete in the Dandenong Baseball Association. This past season they fielded five senior sides, including an A1 and A2 team, four junior squads plus a Tee Ball program.
For additional information please see the attached PDF.
On Saturday night the 12th of December our Victorian Junior State teams received their game caps at the Melbourne Aces Game. It is a special moment each year and this night was no exception.
Melbourne Aces players and former Victorian representatives Jon Kennedy, Daryl George, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay and General Manager Justin Huber presented the caps to this years teams. With the Baseball Victoria board Craig Armstead, Scott Dawes, Sonia Heath and president Myles Foreman on hand to congratulate the players.
Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman also spoke during the ceremony:
"Gathered in front of us today are 115 baseball players ranging in age from 13 to 17 who have been selected to represent Victoria.
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
On Saturday night the 12th of December our Victorian Junior State teams received their game caps at the Melbourne Aces Game. It is a special moment each year and this night was no exception.
Melbourne Aces players and former Victorian representatives Jon Kennedy, Daryl George, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay and General Manager Justin Huber presented the caps to this years teams. With the Baseball Victoria board Craig Armstead, Scott Dawes, Sonia Heath and president Myles Foreman on hand to congratulate the players.
Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman also spoke during the ceremony:
"Gathered in front of us today are 115 baseball players ranging in age from 13 to 17 who have been selected to represent Victoria.
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
The players come from 21 baseball clubs ranging from Waverley with 14 state players to Sunshine with one state player.
Geographically the clubs are as diverse as Geelong to Sandringham.
Of the players, 40 have been selected to represent Victoria for the first time, this demonstrates renewal and reward for hard work.
In total we have 1,700 players across Victoria age eligible for these teams.
167 attended the first tryout which was subsequently reduced to the 115 players in front of us today.
Some of our greatest baseball players were never selected for state teams. State selection is therefore not the be all and end all of an individual’s playing career whether at club level or at the highest levels in Australia, playing college baseball or even professional baseball.
State selection can however assist with a player’s development on and off the diamond and open up opportunities to the elite high performance pathways in Australia and overseas.
Most importantly, state selection means being a custodian of Victoria's long and successful baseball history now in its 125th year.
On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board and the Victorian Baseball community I take this opportunity to thank the coaches, team managers and scorers who give of their time freely to support these players development and opportunity.
To club coaches who will have played a key role in the development of these players thank you also for the many hours you put back into baseball.
To the parents and families of the players, thank you for the many hours you give of your time operating a taxi service ferrying to and from training and games.
Finally to the players.
You have all worked hard to achieve state selection. Some of you have tried several times before finally achieving state selection, which in itself demonstrates a great strength of character.
Your collective personal dedication and commitment must be acknowledged.
The state caps have just been presented by former state players; Justin Huber, Brad Harman, Shane Lindsay, Darryl George and Jon Kennedy. On behalf of the players thank you all for taking the time to pass on the legacy of representing Victoria by presenting the state caps today.
Being presented with a state cap only occurs when a player represents Victoria so this presentation today is a highly symbolic moment to be enjoyed and remembered.
Players wear the "Big V" with pride ensuring you respect and build upon its rich history.
When you are in Sydney and Canberra in January representing Victoria under the "Big V", play the great game of baseball with intensity, give it your all, ensure you hustle, enjoy the experience and never lose sight of the reality that you are always only ever one pitch away from a safe hit or an out.
Good luck to our 2016 Victorian State Teams!"
We are sure that this will be another fantastic year for our state teams with Victoria's vibrant and strong development program producing ever more successful athletes. We wish them luck for the National Championships in January and beyond. Keep checking the Baseball Victoria website for all the information you will need to know about the state teams.
The cream of Victoria's women's baseball will be playing a curtain raiser at Melbourne Ballpark on 2 January right before the Melbourne Aces take on the Brisbane Bandits.
The Woman's game starts at 3:30 p.m. and the first pitch of the Melbourne Aces and Brisbane Bandits is set for 6 p.m.
Melbourne Ballpark is located on Merton Street in Altona.
Get your tickets now: http://www.theabl.com.au/tickets/singlegame.jsp?sid=t4067.
For further information please phone 8360 9371.
Fitzroy and Geelong hosted this week’s Under 14 members of the Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy. The Under 12s took the field last week. All previous iterations of the weekly wraps are also available.
Southern Mariners (B) 7, Northern Diamondbacks 5 (Blue)
Looking to get back to .500, the Southern Mariners B side got off to a fast start, scoring five times in the first inning to take a commanding lead. They then added two in the third as insurance.
Good thing, too, as the Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) tallied five of their own in the bottom half of the inning to considerably tighten the game.
Pitching prevailed at the last, with the game finishing with two scoreless innings.
As aspired to: with the victory this Southern Mariners team is now 2-2 while the hard-luck D’Backs remain winless.
Southern Mariners (A) 6, Northern Diamondbacks 5 (Blue)
Similar to their brethren a win against the D’Backs Blue team would even their record at 2-2. Prevail they did, 6-5, in a cracker of a match.
The games played out with eerie symmetry. The first tilt had this line score:
5-0-2-0-0
0-0-5-0-0
And the second:
2-1-0-3
0-0-5-0
In each case the D’Backs got down early then responded with five runs in the third inning. Losers by two in the early game, the margin was only one in the nightcap. No matter: the D’Backs fell to 0-5 on the season.
Eastern Athletics (Gold) 15, Geelong Baycats 3
This is the matchup everyone has been waiting for: the 3-1 A’s versus the 4-0 Baycats. But here the age-old adage—be careful what you wish for—rang true.
Instead of a taut, nail-biter it quickly turned into a rout. The A’s Gold team scored twice in the first before busting out with seven in the second and six in the third to put the game away.
The Baycats fought back to score their first three runs in the bottom of the last to provide the winning margin.
The crushing blow was dealt by the A’s Reece Longstaff who boomed a second inning grand slam to provide the exclamation point to a dominating effort. Also contributing at the plate were Charlie Collins, James Keam, Lucas Keyhoe, Cal Vance, Koetsu Sakamoto and Henty Hayman, who each had a hit in the game.
Like Longstaff across the diamond, Kobe Greenhalgh went deep for the Baycats. Connor Hickey, Thomas Renouf, Ethan Tipping, and Max Shaw-Vaalepu had Geelong’s hits.
On the mound, Angus McNee, Travis Duxson and Hickey threw for the Baycats.
The A’s pitching was stellar, led by Hayman who struck out two, ceded just one hit and didn’t allow a run in 1.1 innings. The Eastern pitching staff didn’t allow a walk or hit a batter the entire game.
Geelong Baycats 7, Eastern Athletics (Green) 4
For two innings it looked like more of the same. After being on the wrong end of a walloping in the first game, the Baycats found themselves facing another significant deficit, trailing 4-0 after one. The score remained the same entering the bottom of the third when Geelong resoundingly bounced back from their first loss of the season.
They tallied four times in that frame and then another three in the bottom of the fourth to win their fifth game against only one defeat.
With the loss, the Eastern Athletics (Green) fell to 3-2 on the season.
Unlike in the first game pitching took center stage here. Nick Hau started for the Baycats and pitched exceptionally: three innings, four hits, a walk, two earned runs and six strikeouts. In relief, Kobe Greenhalgh and Jarryd Wood combined for another two whiffs in the fourth inning.
For the A’s, Zac Busch struck out five batter in three innings.
Mitch Homfray, Harvey Mitchelhill and Kye Stehr had the hits for Eastern.
In the win, Angus McNee, Ethan Tipping and Wood all had two knocks, while Eugene Gay and Connor Hughes each had one.
Here is how the comp stands after three rounds: https://sportsdesq.imgstg.com/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=competition&competitionID=10392&OrgID=16724&clubOrganisationId=0##ladder
Next Saturday, the Under 12s are back in action. Check back here for a full report of all six games.
Southern Mariners (B) 7, Northern Diamondbacks 5 (Blue)
Looking to get back to .500, the Southern Mariners B side got off to a fast start, scoring five times in the first inning to take a commanding lead. They then added two in the third as insurance.
Good thing, too, as the Northern Diamondbacks (Blue) tallied five of their own in the bottom half of the inning to considerably tighten the game.
Pitching prevailed at the last, with the game finishing with two scoreless innings.
As aspired to: with the victory this Southern Mariners team is now 2-2 while the hard-luck D’Backs remain winless.
Southern Mariners (A) 6, Northern Diamondbacks 5 (Blue)
Similar to their brethren a win against the D’Backs Blue team would even their record at 2-2. Prevail they did, 6-5, in a cracker of a match.
The games played out with eerie symmetry. The first tilt had this line score:
5-0-2-0-0
0-0-5-0-0
And the second:
2-1-0-3
0-0-5-0
In each case the D’Backs got down early then responded with five runs in the third inning. Losers by two in the early game, the margin was only one in the nightcap. No matter: the D’Backs fell to 0-5 on the season.
Eastern Athletics (Gold) 15, Geelong Baycats 3
This is the matchup everyone has been waiting for: the 3-1 A’s versus the 4-0 Baycats. But here the age-old adage—be careful what you wish for—rang true.
Instead of a taut, nail-biter it quickly turned into a rout. The A’s Gold team scored twice in the first before busting out with seven in the second and six in the third to put the game away.
The Baycats fought back to score their first three runs in the bottom of the last to provide the winning margin.
The crushing blow was dealt by the A’s Reece Longstaff who boomed a second inning grand slam to provide the exclamation point to a dominating effort. Also contributing at the plate were Charlie Collins, James Keam, Lucas Keyhoe, Cal Vance, Koetsu Sakamoto and Henty Hayman, who each had a hit in the game.
Like Longstaff across the diamond, Kobe Greenhalgh went deep for the Baycats. Connor Hickey, Thomas Renouf, Ethan Tipping, and Max Shaw-Vaalepu had Geelong’s hits.
On the mound, Angus McNee, Travis Duxson and Hickey threw for the Baycats.
The A’s pitching was stellar, led by Hayman who struck out two, ceded just one hit and didn’t allow a run in 1.1 innings. The Eastern pitching staff didn’t allow a walk or hit a batter the entire game.
Geelong Baycats 7, Eastern Athletics (Green) 4
For two innings it looked like more of the same. After being on the wrong end of a walloping in the first game, the Baycats found themselves facing another significant deficit, trailing 4-0 after one. The score remained the same entering the bottom of the third when Geelong resoundingly bounced back from their first loss of the season.
They tallied four times in that frame and then another three in the bottom of the fourth to win their fifth game against only one defeat.
With the loss, the Eastern Athletics (Green) fell to 3-2 on the season.
Unlike in the first game pitching took center stage here. Nick Hau started for the Baycats and pitched exceptionally: three innings, four hits, a walk, two earned runs and six strikeouts. In relief, Kobe Greenhalgh and Jarryd Wood combined for another two whiffs in the fourth inning.
For the A’s, Zac Busch struck out five batter in three innings.
Mitch Homfray, Harvey Mitchelhill and Kye Stehr had the hits for Eastern.
In the win, Angus McNee, Ethan Tipping and Wood all had two knocks, while Eugene Gay and Connor Hughes each had one.
Here is how the comp stands after three rounds: https://sportsdesq.imgstg.com/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=competition&competitionID=10392&OrgID=16724&clubOrganisationId=0##ladder
Next Saturday, the Under 12s are back in action. Check back here for a full report of all six games.
Springvale 8, Doncaster 7
In its toughest non-Essendon test to date, the Lions eked past a hungry Dragons squad on the road, 8-7. As has become customary, Doncaster’s Amy McCann led the charge, recording three hits in four at-bats, including a double. She also knocked in three of her team’s seven runs.
Madeline Davis and Samantha Hamilton had two hits each for the Dragons.
On the mound for Doncaster it was Erin Collis starting and throwing 5.2 innings and Belinda Cannington finishing off the seven frame game.
With the victory Springvale stays tied atop-the-ladder with Essendon.
Essendon 14, Malvern 6
Speaking of the Bombers . . . they were up to their old tricks on Saturday, plating four runs in the first and one in the second to take a commanding 5-0 lead into the third. Undaunted, the Braves fought back to even the game at five before Essendon pulled away for good, scoring four in the fourth and five in the fifth. Malvern added a single run in the sixth to provide the final margin.
The Braves battered 13 hits, including three each from Ellen Goodrope and Ursula Howard. Goodrope’s hitting clinic also included a double. Jessica Johnson, in addition to pitching 1.2 innings, also hit the game’s only triple.
For the victors, Georgia Page tossed a complete game, allowing only three earned runs and striking out four.
Abbey Kelly (4-4, three runs and two runs batted in) and Bronwyn Gell (3-4, scoring three times) led the offensive assault.
Footscray was idle.
Announced today by the Australian Baseball League and Baseball Australia, the rosters for the 2015 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game Presented by Boral are packed with the best talent, both local and international, playing in the ABL this season.
With the all-time All-Star series tied a 2-2, the 2015 ASG is more than just the Midsummer Classic Down Under. It’s a chance for Team Australia to show the World All-Stars what they can do on a baseball diamond. The two teams will face off for the series lead under the lights at Melbourne Ballpark on Wednesday, 16 December at 7:30pm AEDT.
Australia’s team features a “roster of mix and balance, [with] a lot of new faces and returning talent,” according to Glenn Williams, BA’s Head of High Performance.
Those returning faces include former Major Leaguer Brad Harman, a longtime Team Australia representative who still balances playing baseball while maintaining a full-time job and raising his young family. That’s the case for many of Australia’s players, most of whom juggle the realities of life while still giving their all on the baseball diamond.
“With some regulars unavailable due to injuries or given time off from their professional teams, it’s an opportunity to test the depth and give the talent that have had a good year some exposure,” Williams said.
Of the 26 players on the Aussie roster, 10 of them will make their first appearance in an ABL ASG. These include reliever Scott Mitchinson, a mainstay of Perth teams who reinvented himself as a sidearm pitcher, and starting pitcher Steve Chambers, a Queenslander now playing in Adelaide who has held opposing hitters to a .170 batting average this season.
Former softballer Aaron Whitefield is the only ABL rookie on the Team Australia roster, and the All-Star opportunity caps off an exciting year for the Queenslander, who signed with the Minnesota Twins in May and is hitting .314 in 11 games this season. The Brisbane Bandits, proudly presented by WellDog, are the most-represented ABL club on Team Australia this year, sending seven team members to Melbourne to play for Australia and an additional three to the World side. Those seven include David Sutherland, the first new ABL player to reach 200 career hits, and Mitch Nilsson, who ranks second in the ABL this year with six home runs.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ROSTERS
On the visiting side, the World All-Stars represent a sample of global baseball talent, with players from seven different countries.
“Baseball is becoming a more and more global sport and this year’s World team is a fantastic example of that,” ABL General Manager Ben Foster said. “When the World All-Stars take the field, fans will see players from traditional baseball powerhouses such as Japan and Taiwan playing alongside baseballers from up-and-coming countries including Germany and Brazil.”
Keeping with the ABL’s tradition of having the previous season’s Claxton Shield-winning manager lead the All-Star team the next year, former Heat skipper Steve Fish will manage the World side. Fish will be joined by honourary captain Hu Chin-lung, a former member of the SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite and the first Taiwanese-born player to debut in MLB.
The 23 World players sit atop the league leaderboards in most major offensive and pitching categories. Seattle Mariners prospect and SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite first baseman Kyle Petty leads the league in home runs (10), and ranks second in RBIs (29) and third in batting average (.350). Nine of the top 10 hitters will suit up for the World, including leader David Harris (.372) of the Canberra Elite Cavalry and Toronto Blue Jays, and second-ranked Justin Williams, a Tampa Bay Rays prospect playing for the Bandits.
While Canberra send seven players to Melbourne, host club the Aces will have five players on the roster, including left-handed pitcher Yasuo Sano and catcher Takanori Hoshi from Nippon Professional Baseball’s Saitama Seibu Lions, alongside development player William Wu, the lone Taiwanese player on the active roster. Wu and Sano highlight a World pitching staff led by Edwin Carl of the Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat, who leads all starting pitchers in ERA (1.60) and strikeouts (48). Colorado Rockies prospect Alex Balog ranks behind Carl with a 1.67 season ERA and is dominating for the CompassMarkets.com Sydney Blue Sox, with a 4-2 record in seven starts.
For the third year in a row, fans have the opportunity to choose the final member of the World All-Stars in the fan ballot. This year’s candidates include two nominees from each club, and fans can vote now on the ABL’s Facebook page. Voting closes on Sunday, 13 December, and the winner will be announced the following morning.
ADE: Dallas Gallant (RHP), Travis Demeritte (INF)
BRI: Jason Jarvis (RHP), Eric Green (LHP)
CAN: Ryan Miller (C), Jeremy Barnes (3B)
MEL: Trey Vavra (1B), Matt Larkins (RHP)
PER: Correlle Prime (1B), Derek Peterson (OF)
SYD: Jamie Westbrook (2B), Brandon Zywicki (RHP)
Tickets are on sale now at TheABL.com.au/ASG15.
Announced today by the Australian Baseball League and Baseball Australia, the rosters for the 2015 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game Presented by Boral are packed with the best talent, both local and international, playing in the ABL this season.
With the all-time All-Star series tied a 2-2, the 2015 ASG is more than just the Midsummer Classic Down Under. It’s a chance for Team Australia to show the World All-Stars what they can do on a baseball diamond. The two teams will face off for the series lead under the lights at Melbourne Ballpark on Wednesday, 16 December at 7:30pm AEDT.
Australia’s team features a “roster of mix and balance, [with] a lot of new faces and returning talent,” according to Glenn Williams, BA’s Head of High Performance.
Those returning faces include former Major Leaguer Brad Harman, a longtime Team Australia representative who still balances playing baseball while maintaining a full-time job and raising his young family. That’s the case for many of Australia’s players, most of whom juggle the realities of life while still giving their all on the baseball diamond.
“With some regulars unavailable due to injuries or given time off from their professional teams, it’s an opportunity to test the depth and give the talent that have had a good year some exposure,” Williams said.
Of the 26 players on the Aussie roster, 10 of them will make their first appearance in an ABL ASG. These include reliever Scott Mitchinson, a mainstay of Perth teams who reinvented himself as a sidearm pitcher, and starting pitcher Steve Chambers, a Queenslander now playing in Adelaide who has held opposing hitters to a .170 batting average this season.
Former softballer Aaron Whitefield is the only ABL rookie on the Team Australia roster, and the All-Star opportunity caps off an exciting year for the Queenslander, who signed with the Minnesota Twins in May and is hitting .314 in 11 games this season. The Brisbane Bandits, proudly presented by WellDog, are the most-represented ABL club on Team Australia this year, sending seven team members to Melbourne to play for Australia and an additional three to the World side. Those seven include David Sutherland, the first new ABL player to reach 200 career hits, and Mitch Nilsson, who ranks second in the ABL this year with six home runs.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE ROSTERS
On the visiting side, the World All-Stars represent a sample of global baseball talent, with players from seven different countries.
“Baseball is becoming a more and more global sport and this year’s World team is a fantastic example of that,” ABL General Manager Ben Foster said. “When the World All-Stars take the field, fans will see players from traditional baseball powerhouses such as Japan and Taiwan playing alongside baseballers from up-and-coming countries including Germany and Brazil.”
Keeping with the ABL’s tradition of having the previous season’s Claxton Shield-winning manager lead the All-Star team the next year, former Heat skipper Steve Fish will manage the World side. Fish will be joined by honourary captain Hu Chin-lung, a former member of the SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite and the first Taiwanese-born player to debut in MLB.
The 23 World players sit atop the league leaderboards in most major offensive and pitching categories. Seattle Mariners prospect and SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite first baseman Kyle Petty leads the league in home runs (10), and ranks second in RBIs (29) and third in batting average (.350). Nine of the top 10 hitters will suit up for the World, including leader David Harris (.372) of the Canberra Elite Cavalry and Toronto Blue Jays, and second-ranked Justin Williams, a Tampa Bay Rays prospect playing for the Bandits.
While Canberra send seven players to Melbourne, host club the Aces will have five players on the roster, including left-handed pitcher Yasuo Sano and catcher Takanori Hoshi from Nippon Professional Baseball’s Saitama Seibu Lions, alongside development player William Wu, the lone Taiwanese player on the active roster. Wu and Sano highlight a World pitching staff led by Edwin Carl of the Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat, who leads all starting pitchers in ERA (1.60) and strikeouts (48). Colorado Rockies prospect Alex Balog ranks behind Carl with a 1.67 season ERA and is dominating for the CompassMarkets.com Sydney Blue Sox, with a 4-2 record in seven starts.
For the third year in a row, fans have the opportunity to choose the final member of the World All-Stars in the fan ballot. This year’s candidates include two nominees from each club, and fans can vote now on the ABL’s Facebook page. Voting closes on Sunday, 13 December, and the winner will be announced the following morning.
ADE: Dallas Gallant (RHP), Travis Demeritte (INF)
BRI: Jason Jarvis (RHP), Eric Green (LHP)
CAN: Ryan Miller (C), Jeremy Barnes (3B)
MEL: Trey Vavra (1B), Matt Larkins (RHP)
PER: Correlle Prime (1B), Derek Peterson (OF)
SYD: Jamie Westbrook (2B), Brandon Zywicki (RHP)
Tickets are on sale now at TheABL.com.au/ASG15.
Ormond Glenhuntly 15, Chelsea 0
In perhaps the most surprising result of the Division 3 competition so far, the Hunters—in absolutely dominating fashion—whitewashed the Dolphins, 15-0, in Chelsea.
Buoyed by a run in the first, five in the second and nine in the fourth, Ormond Glenhuntly’s victory was just its third in 11 contests. And though they have the same amount of points as Research and Footscray—and one more than St Kilda—their 27.27 winning percentage still has them in the cellar.
After a bye this weekend, the Hunters travel to Footscray on 20 December for the last game before the Christmas break.
No rest for Chelsea as they square off against Pakenham on the road this Sunday.
Mulgrave 10, Pakenham 1
If the Hunters and Dolphins provided the most surprising result, this game was easily the most anticipated of the year so far.
The top two teams—the Rebels checked in with a mark of 8-0-1 and the Pumas’ record was 8-2-0—haven’t squared off since Round 3, when Mulgrave travelled to Pakenham and dispatched them, 6-2.
This contest had a similar feel with the Rebels jumping up early (they led 4-1 after four) and then adding runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.
Stuart Phillips started for Mulgrave and hurled six solid innings, throwing 98 pitches. Equally in control, Matthew Young (43 pitches) finished off the contest with three scoreless frames. The Rebels finished with 14 hits and Pakenham just six.
On Sunday, Mulgrave travels to St Kilda to visit the Saints—the only team this season not to lose to the Rebels. First pitch is scheduled for 3.30 p.m. at Tom O’Halloran Field.
Original report supplied by Lincoln Ladds of the Mulgrave Baseball Club
St Kilda 7, Footscray 5
For five innings the game followed a frustratingly familiar script for the Saints. Bad luck at the plate—a hit-and-run by the second St Kilda batter resulted in a 5-3 double play in the top of the first—and seeing-eye-singles and bloop hits for their opponent as they faced another multi-run deficit, down 4-0 after five complete.
But after an impassioned speech by club coach Brett Elliott, the Saints (who had hit the ball hard all day) finally saw some balls drop safely. They strung together a series of clutch hits to quickly tie the game at four.
After an efficient and much-needed 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth by southpaw Gary Mills, St Kilda kept up their superb hitting and aggressive baserunning to add three more runs to their tally. Footscray fought back to plate one run in the seventh to shrink the deficit to 7-5 but got no closer.
Elliott, a constant nemesis for the Bulldogs during winter, pitched two scoreless frames, striking out four in a dominating save.
With the win the Saints moved out of the cellar and within a half a game of Footscray for fifth on the ladder.
Research was idle this weekend.
In perhaps the most surprising result of the Division 3 competition so far, the Hunters—in absolutely dominating fashion—whitewashed the Dolphins, 15-0, in Chelsea.
Buoyed by a run in the first, five in the second and nine in the fourth, Ormond Glenhuntly’s victory was just its third in 11 contests. And though they have the same amount of points as Research and Footscray—and one more than St Kilda—their 27.27 winning percentage still has them in the cellar.
After a bye this weekend, the Hunters travel to Footscray on 20 December for the last game before the Christmas break.
No rest for Chelsea as they square off against Pakenham on the road this Sunday.
Mulgrave 10, Pakenham 1
If the Hunters and Dolphins provided the most surprising result, this game was easily the most anticipated of the year so far.
The top two teams—the Rebels checked in with a mark of 8-0-1 and the Pumas’ record was 8-2-0—haven’t squared off since Round 3, when Mulgrave travelled to Pakenham and dispatched them, 6-2.
This contest had a similar feel with the Rebels jumping up early (they led 4-1 after four) and then adding runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings.
Stuart Phillips started for Mulgrave and hurled six solid innings, throwing 98 pitches. Equally in control, Matthew Young (43 pitches) finished off the contest with three scoreless frames. The Rebels finished with 14 hits and Pakenham just six.
On Sunday, Mulgrave travels to St Kilda to visit the Saints—the only team this season not to lose to the Rebels. First pitch is scheduled for 3.30 p.m. at Tom O’Halloran Field.
Original report supplied by Lincoln Ladds of the Mulgrave Baseball Club
St Kilda 7, Footscray 5
For five innings the game followed a frustratingly familiar script for the Saints. Bad luck at the plate—a hit-and-run by the second St Kilda batter resulted in a 5-3 double play in the top of the first—and seeing-eye-singles and bloop hits for their opponent as they faced another multi-run deficit, down 4-0 after five complete.
But after an impassioned speech by club coach Brett Elliott, the Saints (who had hit the ball hard all day) finally saw some balls drop safely. They strung together a series of clutch hits to quickly tie the game at four.
After an efficient and much-needed 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth by southpaw Gary Mills, St Kilda kept up their superb hitting and aggressive baserunning to add three more runs to their tally. Footscray fought back to plate one run in the seventh to shrink the deficit to 7-5 but got no closer.
Elliott, a constant nemesis for the Bulldogs during winter, pitched two scoreless frames, striking out four in a dominating save.
With the win the Saints moved out of the cellar and within a half a game of Footscray for fifth on the ladder.
Research was idle this weekend.
Fitzroy 2, Werribee 0
Nine innings. Four hits. That’s how dominant the Lions pitching was in their huge road win over the Giants. Single markers in the first and third was all Fitzroy needed to record their ninth victory of the season, putting them just a half game back of Werribee for the second rung on the Division 2 ladder.
Luke McLean and Taylor Eichhorst both had three hits for the Lions, including two doubles by Eichhorst. The runs batted in were credited to McLean and Brock Pawley.
Oliver Box, Daine Gregory, Even McPherson, and Jose Ruiz had the hits—all singles—for Werribee.
Williamstown 8, Bonbeach 1
Hungry to get back to Division 1, the Wolves mauled yet another opponent on Sunday, feasting on the visiting Bluejays, 8-1.
Similar to previous victories, Williamstown started fast, plating four runs in the first and then following that success up with two in the fourth. Bonbeach got on the board in the eighth but the Wolves quickly responded by scoring a couple runs of their own in the bottom half.
Aaron Green and Kile Rogers starred for the victors with each recording three hits. Staci Rogers also had multiple knocks while Ryan Camov slugged two doubles.
With the win, Williamstown is now alone in fourth place, six points behind top-of-the-ladder Moorabbin.
Berwick City 10, Malvern 1
Scoring early and often, Berwick City evened their record at 7-7. Tallying three runs in the second, five in the third and two in the fourth, the Cougars coasted to an easy win over the struggling Braves.
Mark Surtees started for Berwick, throwing five scoreless innings. Relievers Cameron Gibbens, Eland Tsubata and John O’Connor allowed just a single run in four innings of work.
Luke Bettles and Simon Willox put their best foot forward for Malvern with each accounting for two hits. Willox had the lone RBI, scoring Lachlan Fuda.
Original report supplied by Mark Gibbens of the Berwick City Baseball Club
Ballarat 6, Port Melbourne 3
The old adage that every time you go to a baseball game you see something new certainly applies to this tilt. The Brewers scored six runs—on just two hits. The skilled batsmen were Ricky Howell and Scott Jones, with the latter’s hit going for two bases. Jones also knocked in two runs with Stewart Jeffrey and Scott Kerr accounting for the other two RBI.
The victory ups Ballarat’s record to 5-8 while Port Melbourne falls to 3-10.
Moorabbin 16, Upwey Ferntree Gully 3
When you score 12 runs in one inning the odds are very much in your favour to prevail. So it should come as little surprise that the first place Panthers huge sixth frame was enough to secure the victory.
Moorabbin began the scoring with four runs in the second. The Tigers answered back with one in the second and another in the third but were then held scoreless before the Panthers outburst. A sole run in the bottom of the seventh by Upwey was not enough to avoid the mercy rule.